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"De Gex passed his coffee cup to you, smiling and without compunction, well knowing the effect it must have upon you, at the same time his intention being to kill your friend Miss Engledue by administering a stronger dose.

"Very wily of De Gex to get the police to keep an eye upon me. If I'm not careful I shall suddenly find myself under arrest as a suspicious person who is in the habit of loitering in the vicinity of the great financier." "Yes," I agreed. "This seems to put an end to our present activity does it not?" "Well, he apparently knows that we are watching," Hambledon said.

Oswald De Gex had on that memorable day become, against his will no doubt, a lion of London. One heard nothing of Mrs. De Gex. She was still at the Villa Clementini no doubt. Her name was never mentioned in the very eulogistic articles which innocent men of Fleet Street penned concerning the man of colossal finance. One can never blame Fleet Street for "booming" any man or woman.

"But have you any idea how your master died?" was my next query. "None only something tells me that he fell victim to a plot for his assassination." "Why?" "Because he more than once told me that if he died certain persons would derive great benefits." "Who? His friends?" "I suppose so." "Including De Gex?" The thin-faced man shook his head, saying: "Ah! That I cannot tell, sir.

Though we were in ignorance of all this, yet the desperate nature of the plot against me caused me to wonder what exactly was the fear in which De Gex held me. Of course it concerned Gabrielle Tennison. But exactly how, I failed to surmise.

Suddenly, almost before I was aware of it, a man and a woman passed close to me. The figure revealed by the cold bright moon was that of De Gex, who had now put on a light coat, while at his side walked a slim, tall young woman wrapped warmly in a rich fur coat.

The first thing I do is to thank Monsieur de Gex you have a French name, Monsieur, and you pronounce it English fashion, which is somewhat embarrassing But no matter. The next thing is the protocol. We have no possibility of calling a family council, and therefore, I acceded with pleasure to the intervention of Monsieur. It is kind of him to burden himself with our unimportant affairs."

"I said that I would lead you to the secret abode of Despujol, and I think I have now fulfilled my promise, and shown you that he is on friendly terms with the great financier whom you in Spain all hold in such high esteem." "There is certainly no man more welcome in Madrid than Señor De Gex," replied the police official.

At one hour I was myself; at the next I was another being! Was my case that of Jekyll and Hyde? I knew, and I felt keenly about it, that I had accepted a bribe to perform an illicit service. I had posed as a medical man and given a certificate of death. But my one and only object in life was to see Mr. De Gex and demand of him a full explanation of the amazing and suspicious circumstances.

While Suzor was absent De Gex had, according to the friendly concierge, received a visitor, a middle-aged Spanish woman of the middle-class. She had asked to see him, and on her name being sent up the great one at once gave orders for her to be admitted. Again the floor waiter became inquisitive, and heard the financier speaking in English with his visitor. "Unfortunate!